Syriahttps://ahvalnews1000.com/syria
enWhat safe zone? Turkey’s margin to manoeuvre in Syria shrinkshttps://ahvalnews1000.com/us-turkey/what-safe-zone-turkeys-margin-manoeuvre-syria-shrinks
<div data-history-node-id="36921" class="layout layout--onecol">
<div class="layout__region layout__region--content">
<div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-hidden field--item"><h2>
What safe zone? Turkey’s margin to manoeuvre in Syria shrinks
</h2>
</div>
<div class="field--label">Components</div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--bp-simple paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-78387">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Analysing events in the Middle East is like palm reading through opal glass — nothing is as it seems and not much is clear. Today’s political winner is tomorrow’s big loser. Those in power would be wise to listen to good advice, pay attention to history and think everything through more than twice.</p>
<p>US President Donald Trump is the latest victim of his own impulsiveness. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has also been misled by his own delusions of grandeur, doesn’t seem to be able to recover from what looks like a massive misstep.</p>
<p>With ripple effects of the US decision on military withdrawal from Syria, both Trump and Erdogan are in serious trouble. Both have been cornered by their short-sightedness.</p>
<p>The January 16 terror attack in Manbij in north-eastern Syria, in which four US troops were among the 20 people killed, may be just one of the unexpected events linked to Trump’s decision. It is hard to tell what has been set in motion in the complex situation in Syria but the attack will probably lead to consequences that will add to the drama.</p>
<p>Aside from that, the American side realises the implications of a pullout from Syria. It means abandoning a key role in defining Syria’s future. It is tantamount to a declaration that the UN-backed Geneva process is null and void and it leaves a wider opening for Russia and Iran.</p>
<p>Soon after Trump’s stunning announcement of the American pullout, this column argued that, despite Ankara’s euphoric reaction, Erdogan would not emerge a winner. There has been much zigzagging in Washington since then. There is every indication that Ankara is more squeezed diplomatically than ever before and that it has much less room for manoeuvre between the major players in Syrian theatre.</p>
<p>Much of the talk in Turkey has centred on a so-called safe zone, a strip along Syrian-Turkish border. Erdogan said Trump has given Turkey the green light to set up a safe zone, more than 500km long and 32km wide. The region referred to as “east of the Euphrates” is vast. Do the maths and it is clear from the American and Turkish statements that they have a completely different understanding of what this zone is to be about.</p>
<p>Initially, Erdogan was talking about building houses in the safe zone with US financing. Perhaps, the Americans found the idea so laughable he received no reaction from Trump or his aides.</p>
<p>Yasar Yakis, a former Turkish foreign minister, explained to the Ahval news site that Turkey wants to go it alone in controlling the safe zone. The United States wants to secure the Kurdish presence in north-eastern Syria and a no-fly zone through the United Nations. At another level, there seems little clarity on how the American pullout will be handled by the two allies.</p>
<p>Aaron Stein, an American expert on military issues in Syria, posted on Twitter: “The US non-paper says that the US and TR (Turkish Republic) will coordinate on the withdrawal but, per my understanding, the US withdrawal is not conditioned on agreement w/ TR. Why does this matter? If the buffer zone talks implode, the countermoves by the other actors important to future of NE (north-eastern Syria).”</p>
<p>It is not about if but when the buffer zone talks implode. Syria has told Turkey that any move into its territory will be considered a hostile act. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicated hesitation about Ankara’s intentions to control a large zone in Syria. Iran is keeping its counsel because it sees the impractical nature of the Turkish position. After the attack in Manbij, the Americans may modify their decision on Syria.</p>
<p>The positioning of all four powers helps to explain a lot. It makes clear that there cannot be a Turkey-controlled safe zone inside Syria without consent from all. The safe zone will remain a verbal reality. It is ridiculous to suppose Turkey will enter foreign territory uninvited, disregard Kurdish private properties and start huge construction projects. Experts agree that a safe zone would, in any case, require a UN Security Council decision.</p>
<p>Faced with this reality, Erdogan sees Moscow as his only hope but he may get nowhere in terms of assistance for his Syria plans. Russia has become impatient with what it views as Turkish inability or unwillingness about Idlib. Jihadists there are advancing instead of being disarmed by Ankara. It is safe to assume that Moscow will talk tough on Idlib. Clearly, Turkey’s margin to manoeuvre has shrunk.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
</div>
</div>
Mon, 21 Jan 2019 04:03:35 +0000ilhan36921 at https://ahvalnews1000.comSpecial FeatureOne year on: Turkish cross-border operation to Syria's Afrinhttps://ahvalnews1000.com/afrin/one-year-turkish-cross-border-operation-syrias-afrin
<div data-history-node-id="36889" class="layout layout--onecol">
<div class="layout__region layout__region--content">
<div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-hidden field--item"><h2>
One year on: Turkish cross-border operation to Syria's Afrin
</h2>
</div>
<div class="field--label">Components</div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--bp-simple paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-78344">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p dir="ltr">Turkey on Jan. 20, 2018 <a href="https://ahvalnews.com/afrin/day-1-turkeys-military-operation-syrias-afrin-updates">declared</a> a military offensive into northern Syria's Afrin, a mainly Kurdish populated canton cut off from the rest of Kurdish-held territory. After a two-month offensive against Kurdish militia, Turkish troops and Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army (T-FSA) took control of the enclave’s main town on March 17, 2018.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Today, the Turkish offensive into Afrin what Turkey called "Operation Olive Branch", marks the first anniversary. Turkey is determined to defend its legitimacy for invading Afrin to eliminate People's Protection Units (YPG), what it called "terrorists", and to settle a conflict-free environment for inhabitants. Turkey has argued that the YPG militants in the town pose national security threat to Turkey.</p>
<p dir="ltr">However, human rights organisations repeatedly reported on human rights violations throughout the year.</p>
<p dir="ltr">During the offensive, Turkish officials said they intended to bring the war against the Kurdish militants to Syria’s north-east and Iraq, where the YPG’s mother organisation according to Turkey's claims, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has bases. Turkey does not distinguish between the two groups. It has been fighting the PKK, which seeks self-rule in Turkey, for over three decades.</p>
<p dir="ltr">With the offensive, nearly 200,000 residents had already fled, <a href="http://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=87203">according to</a> the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Britain-based monitoring group says 289 civilians died over the course of Turkey’s offensive, along with more than 1,500 Kurdish fighters and 46 Turkish soldiers.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In the last days of the offensive, Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) bombed a hospital in the Syrian region of Afrin while hundreds wounded were in need of medical care, <a href="https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2018/03/19/did-turkey-bomb-afrin-hospital/">according to</a> the citizen journalism website Bellingcat. On March 16, Kurdish media, YPG Press Office and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, among others, confirmed that the Turkish airstrike killed over a dozen non-combatants.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The United States and Germany condemned Turkey for adding to Syria’s misery. But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan dismissed their criticism. “We have not caused a single civilian to bleed from his nose,” he said, <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2018/03/22/after-taking-afrin-turkey-looks-for-new-targets-in-syria">according to</a> the Economist.</p>
<p dir="ltr">After the Turkish-backed Syrian rebels took control over the city, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) also called Turkey to ensure Turkey-backed Syrian rebels adhere to the international humanitarian law.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Civilians now living in areas under the control of Turkish forces and affiliated armed groups continue to face hardships, which in some instances may amount to violations of international humanitarian law and violations or abuses of international human rights law,” the June 2018 OHCHR <a href="https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/ohchr_-_syria_monthly_human_rights_digest_-_june_2018.pdf">report</a> said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In August 2018, Amnesty International <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/syria-turkish-occupation-afrin-has-led-widespread-human-rights-violations-new">said</a> Turkish forces have been giving Syrian armed groups free rein to commit serious human rights abuses against civilians in Afrin, following an in-depth investigation into life in the city under Turkish military occupation.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Amnesty’s research shows that Afrin residents have been enduring widespread human rights violations, mostly at the hands of Turkey-backed Syrian armed groups.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Violations include arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances and confiscation of property and looting to which Turkey’s armed forces have turned a blind eye," the report said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“We heard appalling stories of people being detained, tortured or forcibly disappeared by Syrian armed groups, who continue to wreak havoc on civilians, unchecked by Turkish forces," Amnesty International’s Middle East Research Director Lynn Maalouf <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/syria-turkish-occupation-afrin-has-led-widespread-human-rights-violations-new">said</a> in Aug.1, 2018.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Reporting extensively on the human rights abuses in Afrin, Human Rights Watch <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/04/08/syria-afrin-residents-blocked-fleeing-aid">documented</a> that Syrian armed groups are looting and destroying civilian property in Afrin and surrounding villages, exacerbating the plight of civilians.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"The civilians are stranded in areas with limited food, clean water, and medical supplies," the HRW said, adding Turkish forces and its rebel allies confiscated civilian property, in some cases threatening residents with death or violence.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Afrin%20Flash%20Update_2.pdf">According to</a> the United Nations, the fighting displaced at least 137,000 people. About 50,000 to 70,000 people remain in Afrin city.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"From a protection standpoint, the situation in Afrin district remains worrying. Anecdotal information indicates that incidents of looting, confiscation of property and threats of violence against civilians are happening but on a smaller scale than what was initially reported on 18 March," a United Nations report said on March 2018.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In October, SOHR <a href="http://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=104511">released</a> another report saying violations in Afrin continue and hundreds of the area’s people were still in custody.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Violations continue in Afrin area without being deterred or suppressed by conscience for authority. The factions of 'Olive Branch' Operation continue to detain hundreds of people from Afrin area, and take them as a commodity to be trafficked with, by arresting them and then communicating with their relatives asking for a ransom in exchange for releasing every kidnapped person of Afrin area," the SOHR report said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Another <a href="http://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=111133">report</a> by SOHR on Jan.1 said Turkish-backed rebels continue to rule the city despite all violations and forced mass displacement after "41 weeks in a row", "287 days of violations", and displacement of more than 350,000 inhabitants.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Today we are in Afrin and tomorrow we will be in Manbij. And the next day we will ensure that terrorists are cleared east of the Euphrates River up to the Iraqi border,” Erdoğan <a href="https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2018/3/9/turkey-can-enter-afrin-centre-at-any-moment-erdogan">said</a> repeatedly following Turkey's Afrin offensive.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The future of Manbij and the cities in the east of Euphrates River became unclear as Turkey woved to expand its military operations. Will they share the same fate as Afrin?</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
</div>
</div>
Sun, 20 Jan 2019 15:30:53 +0000ilhan36889 at https://ahvalnews1000.comSpecial FeatureIt's time for Trump to tell Erdoğan Turkey must choose a side - analysishttps://ahvalnews1000.com/us-turkey/its-time-trump-tell-erdogan-turkey-must-choose-side-analysis
<div data-history-node-id="36878" class="layout layout--onecol">
<div class="layout__region layout__region--content">
<div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-hidden field--item"><h2>
It's time for Trump to tell Erdoğan Turkey must choose a side - analysis
</h2>
</div>
<div class="field--label">Components</div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--bp-simple paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-78330">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>
<p dir="ltr">The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump must reexamine its relations with Turkey as it promises to clamp down on ‘malign activities’ throughout the Mideast and realize that Turkey, under the rule of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is no different from the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology that Abdel Fattah El- Sisi overthrew, the Jerusalem Post wrote.</p>
<p>U.S. <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/No-Holds-Barred-Pompeos-prose-is-Irans-worst-nightmare-577378">Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during a major address in Cairo</a> on Jan.10, laid out a new American vision which included a path to a new relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran that culminated with the JCPOA (Iran Nuclear Deal).</p>
<p dir="ltr">Pompeo did not however U.S. ally Turkey in his speech. The U.S.’ imposition of sanctions on Turkey this past summer following<a href="https://ahvalnews.com/us-turkey/us-turkey-relations-face-bleak-future"> a diplomatic row between Washington and Ankara brought the relationship to its lowest ebb in over four decades. </a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Underlining that it is ultimately Donald Trump who will decide American policy, the Jerusalem Post article said that Washington should be concerned about Turkey’s nearly twenty-year Islamist rule under Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) that has been undermining U.S. security interests.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Where Turkey was once a reliable Eurasian centre for free trade, the rule of law and secular democracy, Erdogan has built an Islamist authoritarian state driven by corrupt patronage... At present, Turkey is extracting the benefits of its alliance with America without any responsibility,” it quoted journalist Tom Rogan as saying in the Washington Examiner.</p>
<p>Turkey may not feel any consequences for its behaviour, as it believes the United States needs the country as a counterweight to Syrian President Assad, and to reign in ISIS and al-Qaeda aligned militias, the article noted.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://ahvalnews.com/us-turkey/it-was-erdogan-who-asked-meeting-says-snubbed-us-official-john-bolton">Erdoğan’s refusal to meet with Bolton and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff </a>John Dunford earlier this month ‘’was a slap in the face to America,’’ it said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Having the second largest armed force in NATO; housing a pivotal but not vital American air base in Incirlik, as well as playing a crucial part of the production line for America’s next generation F-35 fighter, Turkey is of significance to the United States.</p>
<p dir="ltr">‘’Turkey has gotten into bed with Russia and Iran, whose primary goal is to undermine American interests’’ and ‘’Turkey pledged to destroy America’s only true ally in Syria, the YPG Kurds,’’ the article said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It is time for Trump to tell Erdoğan that it’s time for Turkey to choose which side it is on, the article concluded, and act accordingly.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--embed-curated-url paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-78331">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-above">
<div class="field--label">Text</div>
<div class="field--item"><p><a href="https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Will-America-reevaluate-ties-with-Turkey-as-part-of-Middle-East-vision-578002">https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Will-America-reevaluate-ties-with-Turkey-…</a></p><div class="Article jpostcom opengraph-filter">
<div class="opengraph-filter-wrapper">
<div class="left">
<img src="https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/t_Article2016_ControlFaceDetect/434201" /></div>
<div class="right clearfix">
<a class="title" href="https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Will-America-reevaluate-ties-with-Turkey-as-part-of-Middle-East-vision-578002" title="Will America reevaluate ties with Turkey as part of Middle East vision?">Will America reevaluate ties with Turkey as part of Middle East vision?</a>
<p><a href="https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Will-America-reevaluate-ties-with-Turkey-as-part-of-Middle-East-vision-578002" title="Does the administration also realize that Turkey under Erdogan is no different from the Muslim Brotherhoodâs ideology that Sisi overthrew?">Does the administration also realize that Turkey under Erdogan is no different from the Muslim Brotherhoodâs ideology that Sisi overthrew?</a></p>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
</div>
</div>
Sun, 20 Jan 2019 13:20:51 +0000pinar36878 at https://ahvalnews1000.comNewsU.S. working on plan with Turkey to move YPG away, Senator Lindsey Graham sayshttps://ahvalnews1000.com/syria/us-working-plan-turkey-move-ypg-away-senator-lindsey-graham-says
<div data-history-node-id="36785" class="layout layout--onecol">
<div class="layout__region layout__region--content">
<div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-hidden field--item"><h2>
U.S. working on plan with Turkey to move YPG away, Senator Lindsey Graham says
</h2>
</div>
<div class="field--label">Components</div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--bp-simple paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-78156">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said on Saturday he believed the U.S. military had been working on a plan with Turkey to ease Ankara’s security concerns over the Kurdish militia in Syria, Reuters <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-turkey-usa/u-s-senator-graham-hopes-trump-will-slow-u-s-syria-withdrawal-idUKKCN1PD071">reported</a>. </p>
<p>Graham, known for his reservations on U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops in Syria, travelled to Turkey on Friday to discuss the ongoing situation in the war-torn country.</p>
<p>Following his meetings with Erdoğan and the Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, Graham said that he understood the U.S. administration’s decision to pull out American troops in Syria, adding that this nevertheless should be managed in a planned way, without creating chaos in the region.</p>
<p>According to the senator, the defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS) and curbing Iran’s expanding influence in the region should be priority issues for the withdrawal.</p>
<p>Graham said that the United States also had to solve the security problem it created for Turkey via arming the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria.</p>
<p>The YPG forms the backbone of the U.S.-led coalition fighting against ISIS in Syria. Turkey sees the YPG as the Syrian branch of the PKK, which has been fighting inside Turkey for more than three decades. Ankara has repeatedly criticised its NATO ally for failing to acknowledge the links between two Kurdish armed groups.</p>
<p>“And there is one thing as important as those. We should protect Turkey and should solve the problem we created for Turkey in Syria,” <a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/abdli-senator-graham-suriyede-ortaya-cikardigimiz-ypg-pkk-sorununu-cozmeliyiz/1368901">Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency quoted Graham as saying</a>. </p>
<p>The U.S. senator said the former U.S. administration under President Barack Obama had created a nightmare for Turkey by providing weapons to the YPG. “Trump should be very careful and should not leave that problem on Turkey’s lap,” he added.</p>
<p>“The YPG’s political arm is linked to the PKK. The evidence of that is quite clear,” Anadolu quoted the U.S. senator as saying. </p>
<p>Graham said he believed U.S. Chief of Staff Joseph Dunford was working on a plan with Turkey to move YPG elements away from Turkey. “We can establish a buffer zone in this region that will eliminate Turkey’s security concerns. And while we are doing that, we can also ease the concerns of people who helped us in the past,” he said. </p>
<p>Erdoğan announced on Tuesday that Ankara and Washington had agreed on the establishment of a security zone along Turkey’s Syrian border following heightened tensions between the NATO allies over Ankara’s announcement of a military operation targeting the YPG.</p>
<p>When asked why the Kurdish militia should accept the U.S.-Turkish plan rather than turning to Syrian president Bashar Assad for protection, Graham <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/b7d7eb38-1bd2-11e9-b126-46fc3ad87c65">said</a>: “They partner with Assad at their own peril.” </p>
<p>The U.S. senator said that the plan needed to begin with the northern town of Manbij, where two U.S. troops and two American civilians were killed on Wednesday in suicide bombing.</p>
<p>ISIS claimed the responsibility of the attack on Wednesday and the initial U.S. assessment also points that the jihadi group was <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/17/politics/syria-attack-isis/index.html">behind</a> the blast.</p>
<p>Following the attack,Graham said at a senate hearing on Wednesday he thought the restaurant targeted had been the one he and Senator Jeanne Shaheen had visited "with Kurds and Arabs and others" during his trip to Manbij in June 2018.</p>
<p>"My concern about the statements made by President Trump is that it should set in motion enthusiasm by the enemy we're fighting. We make people we're trying to help wonder about us, and as (the enemies) get bolder the people we're trying to help are going to get more uncertain," said Graham.</p>
<p>Following Trump’s decision to pull out American troops from Syria, the Syrian Kurdish leadership has started talks with Damascus and Moscow, seeking protection against a Turkish offensive. </p>
<p>Syrian regime forces began to amass on the outskirts of Manbij in late December. Russian military police started patrolling villages around Manbij in January. </p>
<p>Ankara and Washington last year agreed on a roadmap for Manbij, which included the withdrawal of the YPG fighters and joint Turkish-U.S. patrols in the city. The delays in the implementation of the deal was presented by Erdoğan as one of the reasons for Turkey’s impending large-scale operation against the YPG-controlled areas in northeastern Syria announced in late November.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--embed-curated-url paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-78157">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-above">
<div class="field--label">Text</div>
<div class="field--item"><p> <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-turkey-usa/u-s-senator-graham-hopes-trump-will-slow-u-s-syria-withdrawal-idUKKCN1PD071">https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-turkey-usa/u-s-s…</a></p><div class="article ukreuterscom opengraph-filter">
<div class="opengraph-filter-wrapper">
<div class="left">
<img src="https://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20190119&t=2&i=1347625196&w=1200&r=LYNXNPEF0I0B4" /></div>
<div class="right clearfix">
<a class="title" href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-turkey-usa-idUKKCN1PD071" title="U.S. Senator Graham - a rash U.S. pullout from Syria will create...">U.S. Senator Graham - a rash U.S. pullout from Syria will create...</a>
<p><a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-turkey-usa-idUKKCN1PD071" title="U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said on Saturday he hoped President Donald Trump wou...">U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said on Saturday he hoped President Donald Trump wou...</a></p>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
</div>
</div>
Sat, 19 Jan 2019 10:03:45 +0000hale36785 at https://ahvalnews1000.comSpecial FeatureTrump and Erdoğan getting along, for nowhttps://ahvalnews1000.com/us-turkey/trump-and-erdogan-getting-along-now
<div data-history-node-id="36774" class="layout layout--onecol">
<div class="layout__region layout__region--content">
<div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-hidden field--item"><h2>
Trump and Erdoğan getting along, for now
</h2>
</div>
<div class="field--label">Components</div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--bp-simple paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-78124">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>The events of the last few weeks have confirmed several fundamentals about U.S.-Turkish relations: 1, the presidents of the two countries set the course of relations; 2, President Donald Trump, if not both men, trusts his instincts more than his advisors; 3, both do not wish to break relations between the two NATO Allies, but are prepared to do so if needed to attain their national security goals. </p>
<p>Last weekend, Trump tweeted a threat to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/13/politics/trump-turkey-kurds/index.html">devastate the Turkish economy</a> if Turkey attacked the U.S. battlefield ally against ISIS, the Syrian Kurds of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). It is unheard of to direct such language at a long-standing treaty ally. Washington was awash with commentary about the disastrous effect these threatening words would have on U.S.-Turkish relations. Senior Turkish officials <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46860902">dismissed the threats</a>, declaring that Turkey will deal with the YPG as it sees best.</p>
<p>Then came a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-turkey-trump/trump-erdogan-discussed-ongoing-cooperation-in-syria-white-house-idUSKCN1P829I">phone call between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Trump</a>. The readouts differ, but the prospect of economically devastating sanctions or tariffs against Turkey has receded and Trump is tweeting that he and Erdoğan are in agreement on the protection of America’s battlefield allies and the utility of a 20-mile (32 km) safety zone in northeastern Syria running along the border east of the Euphrates to the border with Iraq. One suspects that they agreed Turkey could deal with terrorists as it likes, but must not attack the non-terrorists U.S. battlefield allies – details left for further discussions.</p>
<p>Then came the murderous <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-46892118">ISIS attack on U.S. forces and Syrian civilians in Manbij</a>. Speculation arose immediately in Washington about the impact it would have on Trump’s decision to withdrawal U.S. troops. The most likely interpretation by Trump is that this is further evidence that U.S. ground troops need to go home. Better, in his view, that local forces more familiar with the situation continue the fight against ISIS with U.S. support via remotely operated surveillance and with air support and logistics from bases in neighbouring countries. </p>
<p>Whether intentionally or not, ISIS sent a loud and clear message to Turkey about the dangers it will face when it takes over from the United States the lead in the battle against the extreme jihadist group in Syria. Thus, although the ISIS attack in Manbij will not change Trump’s plans, it may lead to <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/manbij-attack-calls-turkey-cooperation-syria-190117104601190.html">greater coordination in the withdrawal of U.S. forces </a>between the two NATO allies’ military commanders, a good thing for ongoing relations, military and otherwise. </p>
<p>Erdoğan apparently suggested a safe zone or similar and Trump apparently agreed, or vice versa. It matters little who initiated the proposal. Now comes the implementation. The Turkish military is not by tactical training, nor in strategic planning an expeditionary force. In actions against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the southeast of Turkey, the military has operated a strategy of counter-insurgency mixed with counter-terrorism with limited success for more than 30 years. </p>
<p>Turkish forces will benefit from proximity to supplies and air support if their range of operation is limited to a 20-mile band along the border. They will also be under the cover of Turkish mobile artillery placed just inside Turkey. In military, political, and foreign relations terms, a relatively narrow band along the border with most heavy weapons still in Turkey has advantages. Likewise for personnel – short forays deeper into Syria, but with return to Turkey or the safety zone make more sense than operations of extended distance and duration into Syria. </p>
<p>While Turkish forces are not expeditionary, neither is the YPG/SDF, so for Turkey to keep much of its heavy equipment and support personnel in or near Turkey reduces the threat from YPG attacks. However, presumably the YPG knows how to produce improvised explosive devices that would be effective against Turkish armour and personnel.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--bp-image paragraph--view-mode--default bg-edge2edge" id="vbp-78125">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-image-field field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--item"><div class="media media-image view-mode-default">
<div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field--item"> <img srcset="https://ahvalnews1000.com/sites/default/files/styles/d1/public/2019-01/20180125161229appp-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-entry.h_0.jpg?itok=wIyYdXyR 100w, https://ahvalnews1000.com/sites/default/files/styles/d2/public/2019-01/20180125161229appp-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-entry.h_0.jpg?itok=5A46Birm 200w, https://ahvalnews1000.com/sites/default/files/styles/d3/public/2019-01/20180125161229appp-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-entry.h_0.jpg?itok=FyHxrh2d 300w, https://ahvalnews1000.com/sites/default/files/styles/d4/public/2019-01/20180125161229appp-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-entry.h_0.jpg?itok=ntgt55gN 400w, https://ahvalnews1000.com/sites/default/files/styles/d5/public/2019-01/20180125161229appp-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-entry.h_0.jpg?itok=v2maPBNv 500w, https://ahvalnews1000.com/sites/default/files/styles/d6/public/2019-01/20180125161229appp-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-entry.h_0.jpg?itok=2oW_lxMz 600w, https://ahvalnews1000.com/sites/default/files/styles/d7/public/2019-01/20180125161229appp-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-entry.h_0.jpg?itok=sSIFAP7X 700w, https://ahvalnews1000.com/sites/default/files/styles/d8/public/2019-01/20180125161229appp-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-entry.h_0.jpg?itok=fWxokgNX 800w, https://ahvalnews1000.com/sites/default/files/styles/d9/public/2019-01/20180125161229appp-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-entry.h_0.jpg?itok=UlSTq03h 900w, https://ahvalnews1000.com/sites/default/files/styles/d10/public/2019-01/20180125161229appp-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-entry.h_0.jpg?itok=gdXb_86X 1000w, https://ahvalnews1000.com/sites/default/files/styles/d11/public/2019-01/20180125161229appp-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-entry.h_0.jpg?itok=8Xy0rHgF 1100w, https://ahvalnews1000.com/sites/default/files/styles/d12/public/2019-01/20180125161229appp-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-entry.h_0.jpg?itok=jX_N_ws9 1200w, https://ahvalnews1000.com/sites/default/files/styles/de2e/public/2019-01/20180125161229appp-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-entry.h_0.jpg?itok=yJ1kj7y- 1600w" sizes="100vw" src="https://ahvalnews1000.com/sites/default/files/styles/default/public/2019-01/20180125161229appp-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-ad8a7a488a0d4d978d107d97dcf127c3-entry.h_0.jpg?itok=8wT1035o" alt="Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends funeral prayers for Sergeant Musa Ozalkan, the first Turkish soldier to be killed in Turkey's cross-border Operation Olive Branch, Jan. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></div>
<div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string field--label-hidden field--item">Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends funeral prayers for Sergeant Musa Ozalkan, the first Turkish soldier to be killed in Turkey's cross-border Operation Olive Branch, Jan. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--bp-simple paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-78126">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>With local elections on March 31, Erdoğan cannot afford the political fallout from high casualties among Turkish troops serving in Syria, fallout lessened if those soldiers die on Turkish soil or in an established border zone many would not consider a foreign deployment. </p>
<p>In negotiations with Russia on post-civil war Syria, Erdoğan can argue the Turkish presence in a narrow border strip is only to facilitate Turkish security and in no way presents a challenge to Syrian territorial sovereignty or Russian pre-eminence in the country. Yet regardless of that disingenuous interpretation, their presence increases Turkey’s leverage at the negotiating table – we can only pray that it will not cost the lives of Turkish soldiers to have that leverage. </p>
<p>Which brings us back to Manbij and the possibility that in following his instincts, Erdoğan has fallen into a trap not in the best interests of Turkey in agreeing to take on the obligation to fight ISIS. Though greatly wounded and much reduced, ISIS demonstrated that it still could kill, even in areas that were liberated from its control. </p>
<p>It would be a political disaster for Erdoğan if ISIS begins successfully targeting Turkish personnel in northern Syria. Having told Trump and the world that Turkey could take care of the remnant of ISIS and the United States could return its soldiers to their homes and families, Erdoğan would face serious criticism if large numbers of Turkish soldiers returned to their home and families in body bags. </p>
<p>Thus, Erdoğan and Trump are masters of their respective countries’ foreign policy. In both cases, their remaining <a href="http://www.hughhewitt.com/ambassador-john-bolton-on-president-trumps-policies-on-israel-iran-turkey-and-iraq/">foreign policy advisers are unlikely to challenge</a> or attempt to restrain the impulses and instincts of the boss.</p>
<p>If success comes their way, if the withdrawal of U.S. forces occurs in an orderly way, if the United States’ Kurdish battlefield allies are protected, if ISIS does not re-animate as a significant force, if Turkey successfully pursues operations against the remnant of ISIS, then Trump’s instincts will have proven superior to his adviser’s counsel. </p>
<p>If the YPG is blunted and deterred from operations against Turkey, if the remnants of ISIS are destroyed or rendered ineffective, if Turkish casualties are light, if Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar Assad recognise a place for Turkey at the negotiating table, if the AKP scores well in municipal elections because of the presumed success of his foreign policy gambits, and standing up for Turkey, then Erdoğan will have shown himself as skilled in foreign policy as he is in domestic electioneering. </p>
<p>Ironically, we all have to hope they do succeed, and thereby gain in stature in their respective countries. We must do so not only for the benefit of the people of Syria, Turkey, and the United States, but because the likely result of failure for either man would be to blame the other for not having done enough, and we will be back to mutual recriminations via tweets and speeches between the two masters of U.S.-Turkish relations.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
</div>
</div>
Sat, 19 Jan 2019 07:05:43 +0000hale36774 at https://ahvalnews1000.comNewsAssad to prioritise Russian firms in rebuilding Syriahttps://ahvalnews1000.com/syria/assad-prioritise-russian-firms-rebuilding-syria
<div data-history-node-id="36692" class="layout layout--onecol">
<div class="layout__region layout__region--content">
<div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-hidden field--item"><h2>
Assad to prioritise Russian firms in rebuilding Syria
</h2>
</div>
<div class="field--label">Components</div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--bp-simple paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77984">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Syrian President Bashar Assad is committed to his decision to prioritise Russian firms in rebuilding Syria, Sputnik Turkish quoted Dmitriy Sablin, the head of the Russia-Syria parliamentary friendship group, as <a href="https://tr.sputniknews.com/ortadogu/201901171037153682-esad-suriyenin-yeniden-insasinda-oncelik-rus-sirketlerinin-olacak/?utm_source=https://t.co/Jjpi9Ju75R&utm_medium=short_url&utm_content=k4Up&utm_campaign=URL_shortening">saying</a> on Thursday.</p>
<p>“Syrians are aware that a conclusive victory against terrorism is possible only by a functioning economy,” Sablin told reporters after a meeting with Assad, Sputnik said.</p>
<p>Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in an article published in the Russian daily Kommersant on Tuesday that <a href="https://www.dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2019/01/15/turkey-russia-cooperation-key-to-rebuilding-syria-after-us-leaves-erdogan-says">Turkey and Russia should work together</a> to rebuild Syria.</p>
<p>Erdoğan also said on Tuesday that Ankara would establish what he called a safe zone in northern Syria, following a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.</p>
<p>The apparent agreement between two leaders came after Turkey threatened to launch a large-scale operation against the U.S.-backed Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in northeastern Syria</p>
<p>Ankara sees the YPG as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) that has been fighting inside Turkey for more than 30 years, while the YPG forms the backbone of U.S.-led coalition forces fighting against Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria.</p>
<p>Ankara plans a Turkish-controlled 460-km (285 miles) wide and 32-km (20 miles) deep buffer zone in northern Syria. <a href="https://www.posta.com.tr/son-dakika-bahcelinin-onerisine-erdogandan-cevap-2082150">Speaking to his parliamentary party</a> on Tuesday, Erdoğan said Turkey’s Housing Development Administration could rebuild the region with the financial support of coalition forces. </p>
<p>“My plan was like that. Two-storey, a basement plus one houses with 500 square metre gardens can be built there,” Erdoğan said.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--embed-curated-url paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77985">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-above">
<div class="field--label">Text</div>
<div class="field--item"><p> <a href="https://tr.sputniknews.com/ortadogu/201901171037153682-esad-suriyenin-yeniden-insasinda-oncelik-rus-sirketlerinin-olacak/?utm_source=https://t.co/Jjpi9Ju75R&utm_medium=short_url&utm_content=k4Up&utm_campaign=URL_shortening">https://tr.sputniknews.com/ortadogu/201901171037153682-esad-suriyenin-y…</a></p><div class="website trsputniknewscom opengraph-filter">
<div class="opengraph-filter-wrapper">
<div class="left">
<img src="https://cdntr2.img.sputniknews.com/images/103556/41/1035564163.jpg" /></div>
<div class="right clearfix">
<a class="title" href="https://tr.sputniknews.com/ortadogu/201901171037153682-esad-suriyenin-yeniden-insasinda-oncelik-rus-sirketlerinin-olacak/" title="Beşar Esad: Suriye'nin yeniden inşasında öncelik Rus şirketlerinin olacak">Beşar Esad: Suriye'nin yeniden inşasında öncelik Rus şirketlerinin olacak</a>
<p><a href="https://tr.sputniknews.com/ortadogu/201901171037153682-esad-suriyenin-yeniden-insasinda-oncelik-rus-sirketlerinin-olacak/" title="Rusya-Suriye Parlamentolararası Dostluk Grubu Başkanı Dmitriy Sablin, Suriye Devlet Başkanı Beşar Esad'ın, ülkesinin yeniden inşa edilmesinde Rus şirketlere öncelik tanınacağı kararına bağlı olduğunu söyledi.">Rusya-Suriye Parlamentolararası Dostluk Grubu Başkanı Dmitriy Sablin, Suriye Devlet Başkanı Beşar Esad'ın, ülkesinin yeniden inşa edilmesinde Rus şirketlere öncelik tanınacağı kararına bağlı olduğunu söyledi.</a></p>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
</div>
</div>
Fri, 18 Jan 2019 09:59:37 +0000hale36692 at https://ahvalnews1000.comNewsTurkey-U.S. relations facing a new testhttps://ahvalnews1000.com/us-turkey/turkey-us-relations-facing-new-test
<div data-history-node-id="36685" class="layout layout--onecol">
<div class="layout__region layout__region--content">
<div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-hidden field--item"><h2>
Turkey-U.S. relations facing a new test
</h2>
</div>
<div class="field--label">Components</div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--bp-simple paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77976">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>U.S.-Turkish relations went through a short period of turbulence this week when U.S. President Donald Trump wrote in a tweet: “We will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds”. </p>
<p>Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalın did not waste time to respond by tweeting that Turkey considered the Kurdish fighters terrorists.</p>
<p>Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey would not be intimidated by such threats. But in an effort to drive a wedge between Trump and opponents of the U.S. withdrawal from Syria, he added that Trump’s tweet was addressed to the U.S. domestic audience rather than Turkey. </p>
<p>Defence Minister Hulusi Akar joined the choir by re-tweeting a three-year-old tweet by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in which he said: “Turkey will prevent the emergence of a (Kurdish) state in the north of Syria, whatever it costs”. </p>
<p>Trump’s tweet was the culmination of several similar statements by other senior U.S. officials. U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said in Jerusalem on his way to Ankara that Turkey must agree to protect the United States’ Kurdish allies in Syria. This statement led to an angry reaction in Ankara and Erdoğan refused to receive Bolton, who was obliged to confine his talks to a two-hour meeting with Kalın. </p>
<p>U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo similarly said that "ensuring that the Turks don't slaughter the Kurds" was part "of the American mission set". Turkish policy planners have to reckon that these are pieces that complete Washington’s Kurdish policy. </p>
<p>The Turkish-American row was toned down by a telephone call by Erdoğan to Trump in the evening hours of the same day. Trump announced by tweet the outcome of the conversation saying: “Spoke w/ President Erdoğan of Turkey to advise where we stand on all matters including our last two weeks of success in fighting the remnants of ISIS, and 20-mile-safe zone”. It was as if it was another Trump had written the earlier message. </p>
<p>Turkey must be fully satisfied with this outcome, because the establishment of a security zone was an idea that it has been promoting since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011, though its proposal was a security zone controlled by Turkey. Comments made by the pro-government media say that Turkey may build houses in this zone to accommodate hundreds of thousands of displaced Syrians. Each town in this zone will be governed by a municipality where each ethnic community (Arab, Kurd, Turkmen, Assyrian or others) will be represented proportionally. But Turkey is opposed to the presence of members of the strongest Kurdish political party, Democratic Union Party (PYD), in these city councils and more so the presence of the fighters of its military branch, the People’s Protection Units (YPG).</p>
<p>However, this is more easily said than done. It is not easy to identify the members of such a big political party. The number of YPG fighters trained and equipped by the United States is supposed to be around 30,000. Together with the less trained fighters and local security officials, their number amounts to 70,000. Even if they were identified, it is not easy to keep that many active and dedicated people away from all public services. Although the U.S. may withdraw its forces from Syria, it will probably not remain indifferent to the problems faced by its former allies. </p>
<p>Furthermore, there is the Russian factor. Russia would not like to antagonise Turkey, especially now that the situation has deteriorated in Idlib where cooperation with Turkey is important. But, Moscow has consistently emphasised that the vacuum created by the U.S. pull out, has to be filled by the Syrian government.</p>
<p>Turkey is not the sole actor in Syria and it may not be able to control every stage of the evolution of this case. Therefore, the security zone may eventually become a headache for Ankara. A security zone that was created in 1991 by the United States in northern Iraq was later transformed into a no-fly zone and this is how the autonomy of the Kurdish Regional Government in the north of Iraq came into being. This is the worst-case scenario that Turkey would like to see in the north of Syria. </p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
</div>
</div>
Fri, 18 Jan 2019 07:37:30 +0000hale36685 at https://ahvalnews1000.comSpecial FeatureInitial U.S. assessment says Manbij attack organised by Islamic Statehttps://ahvalnews1000.com/manbij/initial-us-assessment-says-manbij-attack-organised-islamic-state
<div data-history-node-id="36644" class="layout layout--onecol">
<div class="layout__region layout__region--content">
<div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-hidden field--item"><h2>
Initial U.S. assessment says Manbij attack organised by Islamic State
</h2>
</div>
<div class="field--label">Components</div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--bp-simple paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77923">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>The Islamic State (ISIS) was behind the suicide attack in the Syrian town of Manbij on Wednesday, according to an initial assessment of U.S. authorities, CNN <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/17/politics/syria-attack-isis/index.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter">reported</a> citing two U.S. officials.</p>
<p>One official told CNN that the attack was believed to be carried out by an ISIS sleeper cell.</p>
<p>The jihadi group claimed the responsibility of the attack on Wednesday saying on its affiliated website Amaq that a fighter named Abu Yasin al-Shami wearing an explosive vest struck a foreign military patrol.</p>
<p>The U.S. Central Command said on Wednesday that two U.S. service members, a defence contractor, and a Department of Defence civilian was killed in the attack. At least 10 people died, while three other U.S. service members were injures.</p>
<p>The attack came after the U.S. President Donald Trump announced last month his decision to withdraw some 2,000 American troops in Syria.</p>
<p>Manbij was liberated from ISIS in 2016 by the U.S. led coalition forces. The town has been under the control of predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) since then.</p>
<p>Turkey and United States in June agreed on a roadmap for Manbij, which included the withdrawal of Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) from the city.</p>
<p>Turkey sees the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been fighting inside Turkey for more than 30 years and is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.</p>
<p>Ankara has repeatedly criticised Washington for failing to acknowledge the links between the YPG and the PKK and therefore ignoring security threats against Turkey.</p>
<p>Ankara has been preparing for a large scale offensive against the YPG and have stepped up deploying troops and equipment to its military posts on the country’s Syrian border.</p>
<p>In an effort to prevent a Turkish attack, the Syrian Kurdish leadership has started talks with Moscow and Damascus, following Trump’s announcement.</p>
<p>Syrian regime forces began to amass on the outskirts of Manbij in late December. Russian military police started patrolling villages around Manbij in January. </p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--embed-curated-url paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77924">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-above">
<div class="field--label">Text</div>
<div class="field--item"><p><span><span><span><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/17/politics/syria-attack-isis/index.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter">https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/17/politics/syria-attack-isis/index.htm…</a></span></span></span></p><div class="article editioncnncom opengraph-filter">
<div class="opengraph-filter-wrapper">
<div class="left">
<img src="https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190116183713-syria-us-turkey-kurds-conflict-super-tease.jpg" /></div>
<div class="right clearfix">
<a class="title" href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/17/politics/syria-attack-isis/index.html" title="Initial US assessment says ISIS behind Syria bombing">Initial US assessment says ISIS behind Syria bombing</a>
<p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/17/politics/syria-attack-isis/index.html" title="The initial US assessment of the deadly bombing in Syria that killed four Americans is that ISIS was behind the attack, two US officials said Thursday.">The initial US assessment of the deadly bombing in Syria that killed four Americans is that ISIS was behind the attack, two US officials said Thursday.</a></p>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
</div>
</div>
Thu, 17 Jan 2019 15:43:51 +0000ilhan36644 at https://ahvalnews1000.comNewsISIS sends U.S. message of presence in Syria through Manbij attackhttps://ahvalnews1000.com/syria/isis-sends-us-message-presence-syria-through-manbij-attack
<div data-history-node-id="36547" class="layout layout--onecol">
<div class="layout__region layout__region--content">
<div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-hidden field--item"><h2>
ISIS sends U.S. message of presence in Syria through Manbij attack
</h2>
</div>
<div class="field--label">Components</div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--bp-simple paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77793">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Wladimir Van Wilgenburg is a Dutch reporter who currently lives in the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) city of Arbil. Wilgenburg, who is currently with local Kurdish news network K24, recently visited northeast Syria.</p>
<p>Wednesday’s attack in Manbij shows that U.S. claims of ISIS being defeated in the region does not reflect reality. It also demonstrates that that northeast Syria will continue be under the threat of ISIS if the U.S. forces withdraw from the region.</p>
<p>When Obama withdrew from Iraq, al Qaida came back, transforming into ISIS. If the U.S. leaves Syria at this point, there is a danger of ISIS returning to Syria.</p>
<p>It is still unclear whether Turkish tanks will roll in northeast Syria, however, I am talking with Syrian Kurdish officials who have vowed to fight if Turkey begins a unilateral attack.</p>
<p>If Turkey decides to intervene northeast Syria for the creation of a buffer zone, the move would certainly lack any international legal basis, such as a UNSC decision.</p>
<p>Negotiations between Syrian Kurds and Damascus are progressing slowly as the Syrian regime does not want to recognize any autonomy; it is looking instead to administering the whole of the country similar to pre-2011 Syria.</p>
<p>Russian troops arrived this near Manbij this month and began jointly patrolling with the SDF-linked Manbij Council, in move that sends Turkey the message not to enter Manbij.</p>
<p>Listen:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.spreaker.com/user/ahvalpod/isis-sends-u-s-message-of-presence-in-sy">https://www.spreaker.com/user/ahvalpod/isis-sends-u-s-message-of-presence-in-sy</a></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--podcast paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77794">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-field-podcast-url field--type-link field--label-hidden field--item"><a class="spreaker-player" href="https://www.spreaker.com/user/ahvalpod/isis-sends-u-s-message-of-presence-in-sy" data-resource="show_id=3202818" data-theme="light" data-autoplay="true" data-playlist="false" data-width="100%" data-height="200px">ISIS sends U.S. message of presence in Syria through Manbij attack</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
</div>
</div>
Wed, 16 Jan 2019 17:17:46 +0000fatih36547 at https://ahvalnews1000.comNewsNew setback in U.S. withdrawal after Manbij attack will be victory for ISIS, says Erdoğanhttps://ahvalnews1000.com/manbij/new-setback-us-withdrawal-after-manbij-attack-will-be-victory-isis-says-erdogan
<div data-history-node-id="36523" class="layout layout--onecol">
<div class="layout__region layout__region--content">
<div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-hidden field--item"><h2>
New setback in U.S. withdrawal after Manbij attack will be victory for ISIS, says Erdoğan
</h2>
</div>
<div class="field--label">Components</div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--bp-simple paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77741">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday that a suicide attack in the Syrian town of Manbij against American troops in the city, might have aimed to affect the U.S. administration’s decision to pullout forces in Syria. </p>
<p>Four U.S. soldiers were killed and three wounded in the attack on Wednesday, a U.S. <a href="https://twitter.com/ReutersWorld/status/1085540629843795969">official</a> told Reuters. </p>
<p>Reuters later quoted Erdoğan as saying a total of 20 people had been killed in the blast, including five U.S. soldiers.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://twitter.com/AP/status/1085633972766420994">tweet posted later on Wednesday</a>, the Associated Press quoted U.S. officials as saying two U.S. soldiers and two U.S. civilians had died in the blast.</p>
<p>Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility through its website Amaq. It said a fighter named <a href="https://twitter.com/hxhassan/status/1085537055663419392">Abu Yasin al-Shami</a> wearing an explosive vest struck a foreign military patrol in a suicide attack.</p>
<p>This is the first such attack by ISIS since the U.S. President Donald Trump announced last month that U.S. troops would withdraw from Syria, saying the jihadi group had been largely defeated.</p>
<p>Erdoğan said that Turkey would continue to fight against ISIS and would finish it off. </p>
<p>“I believe that there will be no setbacks due to this terror attack, as I have seen Trump’s determination for withdrawal. If there is any setback, it will be a victory for ISIS,” Anadolu agency tweeted Erdoğan as saying.</p>
<p>“U.S. service members were killed during an explosion while conducting a routine patrol in Syria today,” <a href="https://twitter.com/OIRSpox/status/1085549023111626754">Operation Inherent Resolve</a> (OIR), the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS, said in a statement on Twitter. “We are still gathering information and will share additional details at a later time.”</p>
<p>Trump has been briefed on the situation in Syria, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-trump/trump-briefed-on-ongoing-situation-in-syria-white-house-idUKKCN1PA1W9">said</a> in a statement on Wednesday, Reuters reported. </p>
<p>“The president has been fully briefed and we will continue to monitor the ongoing situation in Syria,” Sanders said.</p>
<p>An hour after the US-led coalition confirmed that American troops had been killed in Manbij, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said during a conference at the U.S. State Department that "the caliphate had crumbled and ISIS had been defeated," CNN <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/16/politics/pence-isis-defeated/index.html?utm_medium=social&utm_term=image&utm_content=2019-01-16T17:13:18&utm_source=twCNN">reported</a>. </p>
<p>According to local sources, U.S. soldiers and members of the mainly Kurdish Manbij Military Council had been meeting at the targeted restaurant. </p>
<p>U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said at a senate hearing on Wednesday he thought the restaurant targeted had been the one he and Senator Jeanne Shaheen had visited "with Kurds and Arabs and others" during his trip to Manbij in June 2018.</p>
<p>"My concern about the statements made by President Trump is that it should set in motion enthusiasm by the enemy we're fighting. We make people we're trying to help wonder about us, and as (the enemies) get bolder the people we're trying to help are going to get more uncertain," said Graham, who has taken a firm stance against Trump's aim of a quick withdrawal from Syria, which he originally announced on December 19.</p>
<p>"Every American wants to send our troops home, but I want to make sure that when they do come home we're safe," Graham said.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--tweet paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77742">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-field-tweet field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--item"><article class="media media-tweet view-mode-default"><div class="field field--name-field-url field--type-link field--label-hidden field--item"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet element-hidden" data-conversation="none" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/vvanwilgenburg/statuses/1085584527186161664"></a>
</blockquote>
</div>
</article></div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--tweet paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77812">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-field-tweet field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--item"><article class="media media-tweet view-mode-default"><div class="field field--name-field-url field--type-link field--label-hidden field--item"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet element-hidden" data-conversation="none" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/VP/statuses/1085618587308568577"></a>
</blockquote>
</div>
</article></div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--bp-simple paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77813">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>However, a statement on the attack from U.S. Vice President Mike Pence later on Wednesday showed no indication that the planned withdrawal would be scaled back.</p>
<p>Rather, the vice president repeated Trump's line that the United States had "crushed the ISIS caliphate and devastated its capabilities," adding that the United States would "never allow the remnants of ISIS to reestablish their murderous and evil caliphate" while simultaneously pulling troops out of the country.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, images from the scene of the bombing showed a chaos of debris and wreckage left behind, a clear sign of the continuing danger posed by the extremist jihadist group.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--tweet paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77743">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-field-tweet field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--item"><article class="media media-tweet view-mode-default"><div class="field field--name-field-url field--type-link field--label-hidden field--item"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet element-hidden" data-conversation="none" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/vvanwilgenburg/statuses/1085504459168452608"></a>
</blockquote>
</div>
</article></div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--bp-simple paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77744">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>U.S. helicopters were seen arriving near the site of the explosion to evacuate American soldiers, local media reported. News site the Drive identified the helicopter as a Sikorsky-92, which is said to be associated with U.S. special forces operations in the region.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--tweet paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77745">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-field-tweet field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--item"><article class="media media-tweet view-mode-default"><div class="field field--name-field-url field--type-link field--label-hidden field--item"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet element-hidden" data-conversation="none" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/vvanwilgenburg/statuses/1085505538853650433"></a>
</blockquote>
</div>
</article></div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--bp-simple paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77746">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Turkey and the United States agreed on a roadmap for Manbij in June 2018, which included the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) withdrawing from the city and joint Turkish-U.S. patrols. </p>
<p>Turkey sees the YPG as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and has been preparing for a large-scale offensive in northeastern Syria. Turkey-backed rebels are <a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/turkey-backed-rebels-await--zero-hour--to-attack-syria-s-manbij-11130668">currently waiting </a>along the Syrian border, ready to launch an attack on Manbij. </p>
<p>Erdoğan on Tuesday announced an agreement with the United States to set up <a href="https://ahvalnews.com/trump-erdogan/following-trump-threat-erdogan-signals-broader-cooperation">a security zone along the country’s Syrian border</a> following heightened tensions between the NATO allies over Ankara’s announcement of a military operation targeting the YPG. </p>
<p>Trump on Sunday said Turkey would face ‘’economic devastation,’’ if it attacked Syria’s Kurds. Erdoğan and Trump later spoke over the phone and reached what Erdoğan called an agreement "of historic importance."</p>
<p>Following Trump’s decision to pull out American troops from Syria, the Syrian Kurdish leadership has started talks with Damascus and Moscow, seeking protection against a Turkish offensive. </p>
<p>Syrian regime forces began to amass on the outskirts of Manbij in late December. Russian military police started patrolling villages around Manbij in January. </p>
<p>Free Syrian Army fighters, who are backed by Ankara, have also encamped on the front line, awaiting Turkey’s decision on the possible military operation, Reuters <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-rebels/turkey-backed-rebels-await-zero-hour-to-attack-syrias-manbij-idUKKCN1PA1D5">reported </a>on Wednesday. A tweet posted by a Turkish user allegedly showed the moment when the blast occurred.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--tweet paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77749">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-field-tweet field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--item"><article class="media media-tweet view-mode-default"><div class="field field--name-field-url field--type-link field--label-hidden field--item"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet element-hidden" data-conversation="none" lang="en" xml:lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/DenizFrtna14/statuses/1085508375406886912"></a>
</blockquote>
</div>
</article></div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph paragraph--type--bp-simple paragraph--view-mode--default" id="vbp-77804">
<div class="container"> <div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12">
<div class="field field--name-bp-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><hr /><p>In a previous update of this article, Ahval reported a <a href="https://twitter.com/vvanwilgenburg/status/1085513767813828609">tweet</a> by journalist and contributor Wladimir van Wilgenburg quoting details posted by a Turkish social media account about the routine visits by U.S. soldiers to the restaurant hit in the attack. It later became clear the <a href="http://www.hierapolis.net/2019/01/blog-post_491.html?fbclid=IwAR1qCYtThFWCAGWZ4rpO54ABV_5SIp9zwCCQcZN6q9b8Sjzhqj1Gdqm3a78">original source of those details</a> was the Arabic-language news site hierapolis.net. </p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>
</div>
</div>
Wed, 16 Jan 2019 13:13:04 +0000hale36523 at https://ahvalnews1000.comSpecial Feature